Loos Double Crassier

[angelab]

I believe the pits alongside today's Double Crassier closed in 1986.

The winding-towers associated with them are of course the enormously high, modern, white rectangular one (that served Fosse 19) and the rather prettier metalwork tower of Fosse 11.

Angela

EDIT: These towers are visible on the other side (south side) of the Lens bypass, A21.

[Terry_Reeves]

The right hand crassier.

[angelab]

Wow Terry! What a fabulous image!

Angela

[SJW]

There are some excellent panoramic photos showing the double crassier in a book called "The Battlefields of the First World War, The Unseen Panoramas of the Western Front" by Peter Barton, in association with the Imperial War Museum. See p.252-3 for a photo dated 26/3/16. These show the slag heaps to be two long almost parallel lines of slag emanating from two railway lines, as you've seen on the trench maps referred to in earlier posts. They were much much lower than today's more conical heaps. Sorry I can't scan the pics, but this is a fascinating book containing many battlefield panoramic photos, and worth buying if you get the chance. It also has 2 CD ROMS containing battlefield panorama photos.

I do have a copy of a diary of an officer in 14th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders which mentions their time on the double crassier in 1916, of interest to me as my grandfather was there. When I have time I'll transcribe some bits for you.

Regards

Simon

[sjustice]

Simon, that would be great if you have time to transcribe. We'd all like to read it, I'm sure.

Terry, "fal-do-ree, fal-do-rah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha" comes to mind, but yes; a super picture.

I come back to my first post; they are just amazing things.

Keep the info coming.

Kind Regards,

SMJ

[SJW]

Here is a description of life and death on the Crassiers in July and September 1916.

From the “Log book of G.H.F. Bartholomew”

Extract photocopied for me by the Regimental Museum of the A&SH: I am not aware whether this book is still in print.

“First spell in trenches and D.Crassier, 11 VII.16

Diary not continued till 2.9.16. Following remembrances of first spell at D.Crassier.

Before going up I was put in charge of the bombing platoon, and had two days at Les Brebis to give them some extra training. I had Sergeant Cox as platoon sergeant, and he was very helpful with suggestions, etc. On first going up we took over the B Coy. billets of the 13th Yorks. Next day visit A Coy. in O.G.I. in their old German dug-out there. Before going to A Coy. I went up to D.Crassier with Smith to see round the place; it was being held by 11th K.O.R.L., under Mr Young and another officer. We went along to the sap and got excellent view of the ‘triangle’ and trenches in front of Puits 16. Terrible mess of old boxes, loose bombs, delving rubbish, mess tins, rifles, and salvage of all kinds lying about, and no one dreaming of collecting it. Returned to my billets in the evening and started to make preparations for the night. The previous night I had got all the bombs collected in the company office, together with the water tins, and had a guard put over them. The men were quartered two sections to a house – one cellar per section. I had a most uncomfortable bed in a cellar below the company office, where I could be wakened at once by guard on any alarm or messages arriving. I was just settling down to answer some letters when I was summoned to orderly room. Our C.O. was in consultation with the C.O of the 11th K.O.R.L. as to the possibility of an attack on the D.Crassier and our immediate support in such an emergency. The result was that we had to move our billets nearer to Br. H.Q. to several smashed up houses behind D Coy.’s line of billets. The men were quartered up moderately well. I had a cellar below a room selected as company office, and sleep there along with Nimmo. After 4 days in support the bombing platoon with Smith to help me relieved the K.O.R.Ls on the Crassier in the early morning, settling down during the day. At night all men stood to until stand down in the morning about 4 a.m. Most of the men lay out on the sides of the Crassier. Pretty tiring night, and very glad to get to bed at 5 a.m. after reports had been written. D Company furnished all our rations and water parties, sanitary men at night, and runners. The first complete day we had I organised collection of salvage, and got an immense heap of this stuff outside the dug-out. The trenches had been left very dirty and great quantities of ammunition, pieces of equipment, water bottles, etc. had been left lying about. Also sorted out the tangle of stuff which represented the stores, and got the empty boxes separated and stacked. Smith during the days set several rifle grenade stands, and, after sighting them on their trenches, left them to be fired at night. Visit paid by C.O. and Berwick, neither of whom, however, got any farther than the steps on the S.Crassier. Sap on S.Crassier knocked in by shelling and communication with sap head almost cut off. After inspecting the place we pan the digging of a new piece of trench, more to the inside which could not be knocked in, in a similar manner; we tried to make arrangements with the R.E., but failed for want of time. A new bomb store was planned on the W. of the S.Crassier and half finished by a party of K.O.R.L. on the second night.

Late on the second night we received orders that we were going to be relieved by a party of Yorks and Middlesex, after having been in for only two days. Bombing platoon dispersed on arrival back at Les Brebis next day. A Coy., who had been the left company in the front line while we were on the Crassier, had one nasty night with shelling, and five of my platoon had been laid out – 3 killed, Linton, McConnell, and Bain; Bruce was wounded and died of wounds later at Bethune; Boyle wounded and back home.”

I will skip the next bit….. not on the Crassiers....

“Sept 5th.

Went up to Left Maroc. I walked up by Bully Grenay. Bn H.Q. at Maux very much improved, with iron arches and white-washed inside. During afternoon went up to see Balsillie and Shearer on the Crassie. Went back to Bn. In support on the 13th. Nothing much of importance except the blowing up of the snipers’ post on the O.Crassier. Also the ‘gang warily’ operations which were cancelled; in connection with these I had to go out on patrol between the Crassier one night to find out how much wire, if any, there was in between the Crassiers, and also what the N. slope of the Southern Crassier was like. Shearer and Balsillie were in charge of the D.Crassier at the time. Went out about 11 p.m. with Pte Murray and had an interesting and quite exciting hour crawling over barbed wire, slag, and ‘dud’ shells and bombs. We went as far as the large gap in the Southern Crassier, and then turned up the side of N.Crassier and crawled into the sap. Just on the skyline on the N.Crassier my shorts caught in some barbed wire in my efforts to get under preferably to over a nasty piece; I was about 3 minutes in getting free – a nasty position when Very Lights were going up. Wrote out full report for Brigade before going off to bed. ‘Gang warily’ operations ultimately entirely washed out – a little bit of a disappointment though undoubtedly best on the whole. Nothing of very much interest during the remainder of spell in front line. Two raids on the Triangle were postponed. Were relieved by the K.O.R.L. and went across the road to Support. A. the bombing platoon were again going on to the D.Crassier. I asked to go, and went up for a three days’ spell with Smith. We went up there about 2 p.m. and the first afternoon they started ‘strafing’ and blew in the trench beside the signal station and blocked up the stairway beside the mine shaft. Noticed for the first time their little sausages, which must be some type of light T.M. Two accidental wounds on Northern Crassier during the night from firing ‘pippins’ from the 8 battery. The second afternoon they started strafing again, and registered a direct hit with a rum jar on our dug-out while we were inside. It did no real damage except giving it a good shake, but absolutely blocked up the trench outside; considerable damage was also done to the trenches round, and the sap on the S.C. was blocked up. Had large working parties up during the night, and dug the previously suggested new cut on the S.C. The K.O.R.L. party were on this and made quite a creditable job. Great sight to see them on the top of the Crassier on a fairly light night, digging for all their lives were worth to get out of sight.

Had some very good sport during the day spotting ‘ rum jars’ and trying to locate their emplacements from the N.C. They were going over both Crassiers on to C Coy.’s front. Also had some excellent sport ‘dud hunting’ out near Bank Sap, crawling from shell hole to shell home. We examined all the ground through glasses from the end of the S.C. but could spot nothing but dud shells. Most amusing E.Surrey men at the end of Bank Sap, who treated the aerial darts and T.M.’s which showered all around them with a philosophical contempt. Every time I went along to Banks Sap I seemed to be chased by the little sausages. One very funny time, when I thought that under the circumstances it would be advisable to go round via Liverpool St. and Seventh Avenue, I found Seventh Avenue strown with rifles, equipment, and bearing all the signs of the hasty retreat of the R.E. working party. I was just beginning to smile at them when a wretched sausage landed on the side of the trench, and I followed their example and ran for cover. The afternoon of the third day was most unpleasant. They began strafing when a carrying party of K.O.R.L. were bringing up our stores and were just passing the dug-out. The men were immediately called in, but not before one man had already been wounded. I went up and found one man dead on the steps with his leg blown off – he was a sniper of the K.O.R.L. The other wounded man was along the sap. I went along with Pte Loney, and when just about to pass the big mess we were knocked on our backs by a rum jar, but luckily not touched otherwise. I thought it would be best to take the wounded man to the sap head, as we thought they would not fire at that. We soon found that this was no good, and so got him back as quickly as possible and put him on a stretcher in Seventh Avenue; the new cut was a great blessing and made possible what might have been an impossible job. The same evening we got orders to create a diversion during the East Surrey ‘stunt’ on our right.”

That’s all he says about the Crassiers: the Battalion moved on from there after September 1916. I hope people find this an interesting read. Bartholomew seems very matter of fact about what must have been a daily dice with death. I don’t know anything about him. Just what is written in his diary from June 4th 1916 to the end of April 1917, the period my grandfather was in France with 14th A&S/H. Does anyone out there know more?

Regards

Simon

[sjustice]

Simon,

What a terrific record and one I would never have found.

Thanks for sharing.

SMJ